


Tell the world (about the love we're making)

by Evil_Keshi



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Coming Out, M/M, Romance, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-17
Updated: 2017-07-17
Packaged: 2018-12-03 10:53:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11530707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evil_Keshi/pseuds/Evil_Keshi
Summary: Magnus and Jace had been at each other's throats since the day they'd met, expressing their dislike of one another through pranks that could quickly go wrong. And after several years, it had turned into a real prank war, under Alec's disbelieving eyes. The fact that he was now dating Magnus and that Jace - his best friend! - had no idea was just a detail.





	Tell the world (about the love we're making)

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! This is the first Shadowhunters work I publish and also the first time I ship an actual canon pairing, so you have no idea how happy I am to post this little story. The title comes from the song _Secret love song_ by Little Mix and Jason Derulo. I hope you'll enjoy it! :)

  


The shrill sound of the alarm clock woke Alec with a start, one that almost made him fall off the bed before he could turn off the offending device. Once that was done, the boy lay under his blanket for a few more minutes, taking the time to breathe slowly and recover from his surprise... As well as to remember why exactly he had set his alarm clock the previous evening.

Oh, right. Monday morning. First day of the new school year. Alec didn't know whether to feel excited or dread it, for many different reasons on which he could not dwell any longer, for a tornado of long black hair suddenly stormed in his bedroom and jumped on him.

"Aleeec!" his sister exclaimed as she climbed on the bed, "Quick, help me! What did I wear last year on the first day of school? I can't be seen in the same outfit!"

"Izzy," Alec grumbled, rubbing at his bleary eyes. "I don't have a clue. And I don't think anyone remembers the way you were dressed last year."

Alec didn't tell her that it was too early for this sort of conversation but he patiently waited and held back a yawn while she explained between which dresses she was hesitating and why, until she realised that he had yet to shower and get dressed.

"Why didn't you stop my rambling?!" she asked as she pulled off his blanket, eliciting an offended squeak from her brother - who slept in boxers and not stark naked, thank God. "Hurry, I'll get breakfast ready!"

She walked out as fast as she had entered the room and Alec closed his eyes, relishing this moment of calmness that he knew could not last long: he would have to drag his still sleepy self to the bathroom sooner or later, and sooner rather than later if he didn't want to show up late on his first day.

The shower, hot then nearly icy cold to fully wake him up, helped Alec clear his mind and he got dressed in seconds, just taking the time to stare at himself in the mirror for longer than he usually did. Did he look good? Enough to make a good impression on his first day? Not that he absolutely needed to look great for school, as he didn't care much about what the others thought of him, but there was one person who... Well, who would stare at him. He knew that. So if he wanted to look nice for that person, it was not a crime, was it? Alec grinned at his reflection as he grabbed the pack of hair products that Isabelle had bought for him on his birthday.

She noticed as soon as he came into the kitchen to pour himself a glass of pineapple juice, of course she did. Her eyes widened and she dropped her spoon to ask:

"Did you... put gel in your hair?"

She sounded half-surprised and half-worried, which in turn made him panic.

"What?" he yelped in concern, "Doesn't it look good? Did I put too much of it? Should I wash my hair?"

"No, not at all, it's just... unusual," she said, resting a hand on his shoulder to keep him from rushing back to the bathroom, and she examined the way he had styled his black hair a bit more upwards than it naturally went, in order to reveal more of his hazel eyes. "You look handsome."

Alec actually sighed in relief. Mission accomplished so far.

  


  


Jace was waiting for them around the corner of the street a few blocs down, hands in his jeans pockets and shoulders hunched to protect himself from the crisp air of this late August morning. He grinned at the siblings once they got close enough and he picked up his bag that he had left between his feet while he waited.

"Izzy!" the blond male said with a warm smile, "You look amazing!"

Isabelle pirouetted with a laugh, showing off the way the pale sunbeams still managed to catch on the golden sequins of her leather skirt; Jace took his eyes off of her so that he could grab his best friend's strong arm and engulf Alec in a tight hug.

"It's been too long," he grumbled against Alec's neck, "I thought the summer holidays would never end."

"You won't say that after a week of homework," the other boy teased him, "You'll wish to be back wherever it was your grandmother made you travel with her."

"Iceland, Alec, Iceland!" Jace complained while Isabelle rolled her eyes. "They really put the _ice_ in _Iceland_. I had never been so cold in my life before!"

"Poor baby Jace," Izzy drawled. "Come on now, we'll end up late."

As they made their way towards the school, the blond boy told them about his trip and complained a bit more, until the school gates came in sight and he suddenly exclaimed:

"I forgot to tell you! I've come up with my first prank for Magnus, you'll love it! It's..."

Alec mentally sighed and tuned out his friend while he spoke with wild gestures about a plan involving Magnus' locker, water and toilet paper. This was exactly what he'd feared would happen this year, just like every other year since they were twelve. Magnus and Jace had been at each other's throats ever since they'd met, expressing their dislike of one another through pranks that could quickly go wrong.

No one really remembered how or why it had started, although Alec believed that he had witnessed the two teenagers collide into each other, which had led to intense bickering and shouting, as they both refused to apologise. It was stupid, really, how this little incident had turned into a prank war.

Alec had hoped, foolishly, that this time it would be different, that the two boys would somehow get along... But if Jace had already planned his first joke, there was not much room left for hope.

"Alec?" his sister dragged him back to earth and to Jace's plan. "What do you think?"

"Uh? O... Oh," he stammered when he realised that his sister and his best friend were both looking expectantly at him, "I... I'm not sure? I mean, this is our last year of high school, maybe Jace could give Magnus a break?"

The blond looked at him as if his brain had just fled his head.

"Are you serious?" he asked in disbelief. "Alec, what about tradition? It's our last year, you said so yourself, I'm not going to stop now! Besides, I'm sure Magnus has planned something as well. I'm not letting him win!"

Isabelle cheered and her brother tried to laugh along, even though he only managed a forced smile.

"Go ahead," he said as they entered the building, "I... I forgot something in my locker."

"What?" Isabelle asked, sounding suspicious, "How's that possible? It's our first day and we just came in..."

"I... I meant," Alec scrambled for an explanation, "I meant I have to put something in my locker. My bag is a bit heavy."

"Fine," Jace said with a grin, "I'll keep a seat for you in the lab!"

Right, chemistry in first period. The nightmare. Not that Alec disliked the subject, not at all actually, but since Magnus shared this class with Jace and him, the young man feared what might happen: he knew the blond would not miss a chance to bother Magnus... And vice-versa.

Alec nodded and turned around to stride hurriedly towards the lockers, passing in front of his own without even sparing it a fleeting glance. The necessity to use his locker had been a poor excuse and he knew it, he would have to find something else, something better, to avoid drawing the attention to him and where he was going exactly: in a deserted hallway where the classrooms were unused for now, due to much needed paintjobs.

As soon as the boy entered the classroom farthest away from the busy areas, he felt a too rare smile curl on his lips at the sight of the young man who already stood in the room, posture relaxed and eyes joyful.

"Alexander," Magnus breathed out, seeming almost mesmerised, as if the mere presence of the other boy in the same place as him was a dazzling, breathtaking event.

Alec crossed the room in a few quick, powerful strides and grabbed Magnus by the lapels of his dark red jacket to bring him closer and place his mouth on his. He was the one to initiate the kiss but it was Magnus who deepened it and made him melt against his boyfriend's slender body.

When they broke apart, Magnus was smiling like a fool - not that Alec was one to judge, for he could feel that his cheeks were burning hot and he perfectly imagined the colour displayed on his face right now: lobster red. It wasn't his fault, okay? He just... He wasn't used yet to be kissed by Magnus in that way or even be kissed, period.

"Hello, Alexander," Magnus greeted him with gentle eyes.

"H... Hi," Alec stammered, still trying to recover from the kiss - such a beautiful way to start the day!

"I wasn't sure that you would make it," the other added, brushing the back of his right hand across Alec's still flaming cheek. "I thought maybe Jace wouldn't let you out of his sight..."

"I managed... Speaking of Jace, perhaps you should not put anything you care about in your locker today."

Magnus looked at him in surprise then smirked, his strange green and golden eyes sparkling with mischief.

"So he wants to go first with the pranks this year? Fine by me."

"Magnus..." Alec sighed, "I tried to... I suggested he backed off this year but... He said something about _tradition_."

"Don't worry," Magnus answered with a little laugh, "It's not like I haven't planned on doing anything... Nothing too bad, I promise."

He added that last part when he saw Alec's eyes go wide with worry, both for his best friend and for his boyfriend. Magnus knew that this couldn't be easy for Alexander, being torn between two people he loved, but... Even if he left Jace alone, the blond would need more than that to do the same, he would need one big, enormous reason to agree with Alec's suggestion.

"Darling..." Magnus said softly, "You do realise that Jace will only stop that prank war if he comes to know that we're together?"

"Yes," Alec answered, sounding miserable, "But I'm not ready, Magnus, I..."

"I know, I know," his boyfriend reassured him, lightly resting two fingers on Alexander's lips. "I wasn't saying that to pressure you into talking to him about us. I've told you before: we'll do this at your pace."

Magnus got a new kiss as a silent, shy thank you for his understanding, a kiss that he had to break after a few too short seconds.

"As much as I hate to say this," he whispered against Alec's parted lips, "we should go to class. I'll go first?"

Alec nodded and pecked Magnus' mouth lightly, before he let go and watched as his boyfriend walked towards the door to leave, lingering on the threshold just long enough to say:

"By the way, Alexander... I love your new hairstyle. And your eyes, but you already knew that."

  


  


Alec and Magnus had not meant to fall in love. It had happened though, a bit like Magnus' and Jace's prank war had: just like that, and none of them was sure to properly recall how it had started.

Maybe it was when they were twelve, when Jace and Magnus started to fight and Alec did nothing to stop his best friend, although he didn't encourage him either - to Jace's greatest frustration. And Magnus... He never tried to involve Alec in the mess he and Jace had come up with, never turned him into an unwilling and unfortunate victim alongside the blond.

Maybe it was when they were fifteen, when Magnus would look Jace up and down with scorn but turn softer, almost kind eyes to Alec. Around the time Alec would realise that he, too, stared at Magnus - and liked it. Liked the way he painted his nails black, liked the exuberance of his clothes, liked his hands, liked... Loved, the way he would smile at him when nobody was looking.

Alec had suddenly understood why he had never fancied any of the daughters of his parents' friends, whom they kept introducing him to. All in vain: Alec had his eyes set on someone else.

By the time he came to that conclusion, he wasn't sure what to do: what should he tell Jace? _Hey, bro, I'm gay and I like your worst enemy?_ And Magnus? _Hey, gorgeous, I like you even though your worst enemy is my best friend?_ No. Alec wasn't one for confrontation, especially not when it involved feelings, and he had planned on not breathing a word of this to anyone... Until, of course, this summer.

Alec had gotten a job at one of the bookshops in the neighbouring city: Jace was in Iceland, Izzy was more often than not out with her friends and doing activities that he had no interest in (shopping, for example) and he wanted to feel responsible, adult. Hence the job. And on a grey, slow afternoon, that Alec would later describe as perfect, he heard a well-known voice:

"Alexander? I didn't know you worked here."

Startled, the young man looked up and his wide eyes settled on Magnus, all spiky hair and glittery makeup, so gorgeous, and smiling brightly at him.

"H... Hi!" he exclaimed a little too fast, feeling his cheeks heat up, "H... Hey... I, uh... I didn't know you bought your books here?"

He racked his brain to find something to add, anything, and it must have showed on his face, because Magnus laughed and explained how this shop was the only place where he could find the books that truly interested him (something about ancient history and art) and they talked and talked, until a customer came whom Alec needed to ring up.

"It was nice talking to you, Alexander," Magnus told him, voice like honey to Alec's ears, "Especially without having Jace around. I hope we can do this again soon."

They had. Magnus' biweekly visits to the bookshop had turned into almost daily visits and Alec had wanted to believe that he was the reason for that change, without being quite certain of that. Slowly but steadily, their conversations had turned towards more personal topics, their interests, their shared love for books, their not-so-shared fashion style. One day, blushing furiously and sounding even shier than he usually did, Alec managed to ask Magnus if he wanted to get a coffee some time, and his new friend flashed him such a dazzling smile as he said yes that Alec thought he would go blind.

In the café across the street, they had teased each other about their respective tastes, Alec with his black coffee and a dash of brown sugar and Magnus with a fancy drink that the other boy couldn't remember the name of, but with an impressive amount of whipped cream on top. It actually tasted good, he found out when Magnus suggested that he took a sip - and managed to end up with cream on the tip of his nose.

After a few weeks, it had been too much: the flirting, the laughing, the _clicking_... Alec wanted more and for the first time ever, he took it upon himself to actually tell Magnus instead of watching him and dreaming of what could be if he gathered his courage.

"I want to take you out," he had blurted one day, before he specified, "On a date."

Magnus had raised an incredulous brow.

"Isn't that what we've been doing all along?"

He had laughed at Alec's blushing face, giggling until he found himself pressed against a bookshelf as the hazel-eyed boy proceeded to shut him up in the best of ways, clumsy and eager, warm and wet and just, perfect.

  


  


The first day of school went better than Alec expected it to go: by the end of the day, no one had died (yet), Jace's prank had failed because, for an obscure reason, Magnus' locker had been totally empty, and Izzy had made a new friend - _he's the new student, his name is Meliorn and he's super hot!_

Alec had patted Jace on the back when the blond told him about his misfortune, secretly glad that Magnus' books weren't ruined but also feeling a bit guilty: how would his friend react if he knew who had warned his rival?

He wanted to tell Jace about his relationship with Magnus, he really did; Alec knew his best friend and he knew that he would accept his sexuality. Yet, deep down, he could feel the fear of rejection, suspicion, incomprehension. It froze him to his bones, kept him from uttering a single word about this to Jace, and he was all the more thankful to Magnus for his patience and acceptance.

He was going to tell Jace, he promised himself; he didn't want to hide, neither his true self nor Magnus, who deserved better than to be kept a secret. He just had to wait for the right time, he couldn't do that now that the blond male was so disappointed and disheartened... Otherwise, Jace would immediately understand that Alec had told Magnus about the locker and... What if he saw this as a betrayal?

Alec gently shook his head, pushing these thoughts away. Worrying was useless: he would deal with Jace's reaction after actually getting one. Besides, it wasn't as if he didn't have any opportunity to spill the beans.

A few days later, Jace almost chocked to death on his sandwich when he witnessed a strange scene happening right in front of his eyes, in the middle of the cafeteria: a red-haired girl was talking animatedly with his arch nemesis.

"What the fuck is Clary doing talking to that sparkling bastard?" the blond asked aloud, almost whimpering, more to himself than to his friends.

He was so caught up in staring at Clary, whom Alec knew to be his crush since forever, that he didn't notice the way his best friend frowned upon hearing the words he had used to describe Magnus. He understood the reason of his harsh words, even though he didn't condone them: two hours prior, Jace had found a note folded in half and taped to his locker that read _Next time you target my locker, expect this one to be a real one_. Underneath that cryptic sentence, a certain someone had drawn a threatening-looking duck.

Knowing of Jace's hatred for ducks, Alec could only applause Magnus for coming up with this, although it made his friend all the more worked up about their prank war. He decided not to add up to his anger by keeping quiet about the fact that Magnus knew Clary since they were kids and that he called her _Biscuit_. He was certain that Jace would not like to know that. Instead, Alec chose to be a good friend and encouraged the blond:

"Maybe you could ask her how she knows Magnus?" he suggested, "That way you could actually start a conversation with her..."

"Look who's giving love advice!" Jace teased him with a wide grin, elbowing him in the ribs, "The forever single one!"

Isabelle scoffed at the blond but Alec merely smiled. Now could be a good time to come clean, right? But no, Jace was pissed already. Alec didn't really want to make things worse... But then again, he thought as his friend complained about the unfairness of the whole situation, Jace was never _not_ mad at Magnus... Oh God. There would never be an actual right time. Alec was screwed.

  


  


The next week, Magnus found his chemistry notebook redecorated with drawings of little dicks with angel wings.

The following day, Jace found a gift from an anonymous admirer, that turned out to be a pair of navy blue socks with tiny yellow ducks on them. A note was pinned to the socks. _Just as a friendly reminder_.

Then, Jace proceeded to cover Magnus' car with bright fuchsia post-its. He had to skip several classes to get it done but he didn't care, he was too proud of the result. He was a little less happy with himself when the mouth-watering candy apple he found on his desk two days later turned out to be an onion. But really, he should have seen it coming.

  


  


The more Alec waited to talk to Jace about Magnus and him, the more he felt like this would be a disaster when the truth finally came out - no pun intended. He worried so much about it and the way he would tell his best friend, that on one evening, while Magnus and he were cuddling on the couch and waiting for Mrs. Bane to call them for diner, he asked his boyfriend:

"Hey, Magnus... How did you come out to your parents?"

His adoptive parents were so supportive of him that Alec always felt a cold weight fall in the pit of his stomach when he thought of his own parents, who would certainly not take as kindly to his sexuality. The Lightwoods were... much attached to traditions. His parents had a hard time already understanding the fact that Izzy had had two different boyfriends the last six months instead of one relationship lasting for years, so Alec's sexuality... Let's say that he wasn't looking forward to have that conversation with them. But with Jace, with his sister, he didn't want to wait for too long anymore.

Magnus laughed a bit at his question, as if in remembrance, and he answered:

"Very flamboyantly. There was rainbow cake involved, as well as feather boas."

"Seriously?" Alec asked, eyes wide.

"I'm super serious," Magnus assured him. "I thought it wouldn't hurt to go a little over the top, so that my everyday clothing would seem pretty tame after that..."

Alec raised a brow as he pointedly stared at his boyfriend's shirt, rings and necklaces, which got Magnus to playfully swat at his arm.

"Stop it, you love my clothes," he asserted, before he smirked, "But if you really think it's too much, I can totally strip for you and walk around naked."

"M... Magnus!" Alec spluttered, shooting a glance towards the kitchen where Mrs. Bane was cooking what smelled like meatballs with parmesan.

"Don't worry," Magnus laughed, pecking his boyfriend's lips, "she already thinks that we're going at it like rabbits, she won't mind me discussing nakedness."

"She thinks that?" Alec squeaked out, blushing, "Oh God, I won't ever be able to look her in the eyes anymore!"

They hadn't even... They were taking things slow, the most they had done was cuddling and accidentally making each other hard by too much fidgeting, which had turned into slow, gentle caresses through the fabric of their pants. Alec knew that Magnus already had some experience, while he didn't, and he wanted them to take their time so that he could learn what made Magnus vibrate, what made his body arch in pleasure.

"If it makes you uncomfortable, I can correct her," Magnus suggested with a soft smile.

"N... No," Alec whimpered. "Please, just... Don't discuss our sex life with your mom, at least not when I'm around."

"All right," his boyfriend laughed again, kissing Alec all over his red cheeks. "You know, she just wanted to make sure that we used protection when we..."

"Magnus!"

  


  


Alec had been trying to call Jace for the last twenty minutes, worried sick because his best friend hadn't returned to class after lunch and was nowhere to be seen that afternoon, when the blond boy's voice suddenly reached his ears:

"...'llo?"

Oh, whoa. He sounded... exhausted. And grumpy.

"Jace, what happened to you? Where have you been? Where are you now?"

"Slow down man, slow down," Jace sighed, "I'm... I'm fine. I'm home."

"But what happened?" Alec urged him on, "You disappeared!"

"Hey, can I ask you a question?" the blond enquired instead of explaining himself. "If I kill Magnus, will you come visit me in prison?"

Alec's heart nearly stopped at that but it kept on beating, maybe a bit faster than before, only because he managed to catch the joking tone in Jace's voice.

"What happened?" he asked again, anxious to know what his boyfriend had done this time.

"Earlier today," Jace started," I had finally worked up the guts to talk to Clary. Problem was, Magnus was around, but I still decided to be the better man and say hello - to the both of them. Then I focused on Clary and that... that asshole..."

Jace let out a few inaudible grumbles cursing Magnus that had Alec frowning, feeling like he should say something to interrupt that string of bad words, but his friend finally spoke again and gave him a proper explanation:

"I was talking to Clary so I didn't notice but that freaking bastard put laxatives in my drink! Can you imagine the result? Alec, he... Alec?"

The blond certainly had expected his friend to sympathise as soon as he would hear the word _laxative_ , so the long silence on the other end of the line surprised him. And then, his eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets when he heard the low sound of giggling coming from Alec.

"Are you laughing at my misery?" he asked, half-angry and half-disbelieving, which had the only effect to make his friend cackle louder.

"N... No!" Alec hiccupped, "I... I'm not! But it's... It's... I'm sorry, Jace, I'm sorry, I just..."

And he completely lost it, bursting out laughing while Jace snorted and threatened to drug Alec's own drink next time, just so that he could develop more empathy for his best friend's sad life.

  


  


"I'll get him good this time, just wait and see," Jace told Alec and Izzy the next Monday, on their way to school.

"Why can't you just admit defeat?" Alec asked, "He got you pretty well the last time."

His effort to improve the situation hadn't done much so far, as Jace was set on having his revenge on Magnus, while the latter fount it extremely funny to see the blond get worked up over ducks - among other things. Alec was aware that Magnus' pranks on Jace were mostly a way to keep their relationship a secret and that he would stop as soon as his boyfriend would talk to the blond, but Jace... Well, he had no reason to stop - for now. Alec just hoped that he would actually stop once he knew the truth.

"The day Jace admits defeat will be the day he dies," Isabelle chuckled. "He's too stubborn to have it any other way."

That was true... And not reassuring, Alec thought as they reached the school grounds and passed in front of Magnus and a few of his friends. Jace glared at the other boy, who narrowed his eyes in turn but flashed the tiniest hint of a smile Alec's way. He lived for those moments, although he wished they could share all the looks they wanted without needing the subtlety but with Jace complaining in the background that they were disgustingly sweet together. It sounded like a dream but Alec hoped it would come true one day, preferably soon.

Magnus and he didn't have the time to sneak in an empty classroom that morning, instead heading for the chemistry lab for their first class, while Isabelle ran towards Meliorn so that they could go together to their English class.

That morning, their teacher had them pair up for their assignment, make a solution following the given instructions and analyse every step of what Jace called the recipe, as well as the initial and final products. Nothing too complicated for Alec, while Jace just never had the patience to measure properly every component and always messed it up.

Knowing that Alec would do all the work, Jace was thoughtful enough to fetch the components from the supply closet himself. When he came back to their table, he was cackling like a madman.

"Here's the blue stuff, the red thing, and the transparent one. And a different blue bottle, but not for us..."

He cackled again and Alec's eyebrows arched up.

"Should I even ask?"

"No, just look."

And just like that, he was off to the other side of the room, mingling with the other students who came and went from their table to the supply closet and back again, until he reached Magnus' table. With a triumphant grin, he made sure that the other boy was busy talking to his lab partner and discreetly swapped his unknown blue bottle for the one Magnus had already set on their table, then Jace hurried back to Alec.

"He's going to get his worst grade ever in chemistry!" the blond gloated, squeezing his friend's shoulder with mirth. "You'll see!"

"What have you done?" the hazel-eyed boy exclaimed, not sharing the other's enthusiasm one bit and already taking a step towards Magnus to warn him, "Jace, you don't even know what was in that bottle, what if it doesn't react well with the other components and..."

 _BOOM_. Alec jumped when the sound of a mini explosion filled the classroom, immediately followed by a sharp cry of pain coming from...

"Magnus!" Alec yelped in alarm when he realised that his boyfriend had fallen to his knees, shaky hands coming up to his face, and he ran to close the distance between them. "Magnus! Hey, talk to me Magnus, are you okay?"

The other boy only whimpered in pain and Alec was suddenly pushed out of the way by their teacher, who looked as white as a sheet as he knelt down to assess the damage, gently prying Magnus' hands away from his face. Alec gasped when he caught sight of the nasty-looking burns across Magnus' forehead, half of his left eyebrow burned off and the tips of his hair looking rather crispy.

"Seems like your eyes are all right, it's the most important thing," their teacher grumbled in relief. "The burns look superficial too."

Magnus didn't seem to agree, for he let out a new low, pained whine when their teacher's fingers got too close from the burns above the bridge of his nose, and Alec's eyes filled with tears at the sight of his boyfriend in this condition.

"Mr. Lightwood," the teacher said, turning to the petrified boy who was closest to him, "Bring Mr. Bane to the infirmary, explain what happened to the nurse and let her decide whether we should send him to the hospital or not."

Alec nodded and didn't waste any time to grab Magnus' hand and help him to his feet, wrapping his boyfriend's left arm across his own shoulders to support his weight as he quickly crossed the classroom. Before reaching the door, he briefly caught Jace's gaze and read guilt and confusion in his wide, horrified eyes. As much as Alec wanted to be angry at his friend for his idiotic move, he couldn't, not really: he knew that Jace hadn't meant to hurt Magnus. If anything, this turn of events only showed clearly what Alec had known from the start: this prank war was stupid. He only wished it hadn't taken an injured Magnus for the others to realise it as well.

"Hang on," Alec whispered in his boyfriend's ear while they made their slow way across the hallways, "We're almost there."

The nurse welcomed them in the infirmary with a deep frown and grunts of _stupid teachers keeping dangerous substances in a school!_ once Alec explained how Magnus had gotten himself there. She ushered the hurt boy toward a bed and without even turning around to face Alec, she said:

"Thank you, Mr. Lightwood, you may leave now."

The young man didn't have the time to speak and argue for his staying: Magnus was faster than him and uttered weak but clear words:

"No... Let him stay with me... Please."

The nurse relented grudgingly, although her gaze softened when she saw how Alec sat and immediately took Magnus' hand in his own, whispering words of comfort. While she examined how deep and bad the burns were before nodding approvingly and fetching cool compresses to relieve the pain and prevent the skin from drying any further, Alec nearly crumpled in front of Magnus.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered, this close to cry, "If I had been faster, if I could have warned you that Jace had switched the bottles, I... He... He didn't want to hurt you like this, he's... He sucks at chemistry. Magnus, I'm so, so sorry..."

"Hey," his boyfriend interrupted him, pressing a gentle finger against his lips, "It's okay, Alexander. I'm not dead. Just tell me... Am I horribly disfigured?"

He asked that on a joking tone but Alec could see through his facade perfectly well: Magnus did worry about the damage to his face.

"These burns are superficial," the nurse answered in his place. "They should heal well and you'll be as good as new. Might take a week or two, though. Keep the compresses there for fifteen minutes, then I'll come back with a lotion to apply, at least if the burns are looking good by then."

She left them alone after that, although she assured them that she wouldn't be far and that they could call for her if they needed. Magnus glanced at his boyfriend, still uncertain.

"Seriously..." he whispered with a forced smile, "How do I look?"

"Your hair is cooked," Alec blurted out, starting with the bad news. "Some of it, at least. But your face still looks perfect."

"Well," Magnus groaned, "At least I got you to play nurse for me... Can I have a healing kiss?"

Alec rolled his eyes but humoured his boyfriend, who deserved a treat after the events of the day. Leaning in carefully, he meant to peck Magnus' mouth and leave it at that, but the other boy wrapped an arm around his neck to keep him close and demanded a proper kiss that Alec was too weak to deny him. Capturing Magnus' lower lip between his own, he was quick to drag his tongue across the plump swell of his boyfriend's mouth, slowly deepening the kiss.

They didn't hear the door of the infirmary open so they didn't break apart - far from it, as Magnus clenched his free hand in Alec's dark hair - but they did startle when the intruder banged his knee in a bed, apparently out of shock at the scene that he had stumbled upon.

"J... Jace!" Alec exclaimed in surprise, eyes wide at the sight of his best friend in the same room as them. "I... What are you doing here?"

Magnus stayed silent, glancing between the two boys, noting with delight that Alec might have interrupted their kiss, for it was not very polite to make out in front of someone else - although Jace was responsible for that - but he hadn't stepped back, hadn't even released his hand. That was a good sign, right? That he accepted to be seen for who he truly was...

"I... I..." Jace stammered, his brain obviously fried, "I... I came to... apologise. I didn't mean to... hurt you, I just... wanted you to get a bad grade on the assignment. But uh, I'll... I should go now and... leave you two... to it."

He vaguely gestured from Alec to Magnus, without daring to meet either of the boys' eyes, then he turned around and promptly fled the room before his friend could call him back.

"Jace, wait!"

It was too late: the door of the infirmary had already slammed shut, making Magnus wince. He squeezed Alec's hand to attract his attention and when wide hazel eyes turned to him, he smiled gently.

"Go to him," he said. "You two need to talk."

"Right," Alec mumbled, "I guess it's about time."

He placed a light kiss on Magnus' lips, followed by the promise of a quick return, then he treaded in Jace's footsteps and left the infirmary. He knew Jace well enough to not need much time to find him: the blond was pacing in a corner of the schoolyard, a spot behind thick bushes that they had claimed as theirs forever ago.

"Jace..." Alec started hesitantly, a bit scared to know how his friend would react to what he had seen, what he would learn.

"Why?" the blond interrupted him, hurt audible in voice, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"That I was gay? Or dating Magnus?" Alec slowly asked, aware that he was stalling.

"Both, I guess?" Jace answered with a shrug, "My God, Alec, I... I'm so sorry, I didn't..."

"No, I'm sorry," Alec said, suddenly feeling brave enough to give a proper explanation to his best friend. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you... I didn't tell you I was gay, because I... I guess I was afraid of what you'd think. As for Magnus, he's your rival since the day you two met, so I... I wanted to talk to you about us but I didn't want you to be... angry or disappointed."

Before he knew it, Alec found himself wrapped in Jace's arms and hugged tightly. Hesitantly, he returned the embrace, his heart hammering in his chest at the thought of what it might mean: did Jace forgive him for his silence, for hiding his relationship with Magnus from him?

"I'm sorry if I led you in any way to think that I wouldn't be supportive or happy for you," Jace whispered, "You're my best friend, Alec. Nothing's going to change that. Not even the fact that you're dating Magnus Bane."

"Thank you," his friend answered in a breath, realising with an embarrassed chuckle that his eyes were a little wet at the corners. "Do you want to meet him? Properly, I mean? I think... It would be great if you could... get along."

Jace looked properly terrified at the thought of getting acquainted with Magnus under these circumstances, so soon after the incident in the lab, unsure of how the other boy would react to him - and if he didn't want anything to do with him, which Jace would understand perfectly after what had happened, well... He just hoped that Alec would not have to make a choice between his best friend and his boyfriend.

But, he decided, if Alec had been brave enough to explain everything to him, then he had to gather up his own courage and take responsibility for his mistakes. He could do this. Right? Bracing himself, Jace followed Alec back to the infirmary, where Magnus was still lying in bed with the compresses on his forehead.

"Alexander," he said as soon as his boyfriend passed the threshold and stepped in the room, "And Jace. I take it all is good between you two?"

The blond nodded, as he didn't know what to say exactly: of course Alec's sexuality didn't bother him, neither did the fact that he and Magnus were dating - it was unexpected and surprising, yes, annoying, maybe a little bit, but certainly not a problem. Not when Alec was sitting at the edge of Magnus' bed and taking the boy's hand into his own, not when he seemed happier than Jace had ever seen him.

"We're fine," he said at last, "And I sort of hope we can be as well. I'm so sorry about what happened, I didn't think..."

Jace shut up when Magnus waved his hand around dismissively.

"Apparently, I'll live," he said, "but I think I'll wait until I'm fully healed before taking any decisions regarding your fate. Even though I want to be the better man in this, if this pretty face is permanently damaged... You'll have to pay."

Jace didn't even dare to laugh nervously: he had the feeling that Magnus was not even joking. But then again... He understood his reasons. He, too, would have been pissed if someone had blown his face up and he was quite certain that he wouldn't have appeared as calm as Magnus did. He knew that he needed to make it up to him, to Alec, as best as he could.

"So," Magnus added, "I think it would also be nice to stop our little war. It has been going on for years, maybe it's time to stop and move on."

"Of course, excellent idea!" Jace hurried to say, glaring at Alec when he laughed at his friend's eagerness to please Magnus.

"Although," the latter continued to speak, now with a mischievous glint in his eyes, "I feel like I deserve one more prank: you went big with this one, you even hurt me, so I guess it is only fair that I get a chance at revenge, right?"

"Magnus!" Alec immediately protested, which Jace appreciated a lot, "That's..."

"Don't worry, love," his boyfriend reassured him, "It will be nothing dangerous, I swear!"

"But that's not how it works!" Alec exclaimed, "You said you should stop it, so just stop! It's..."

"Alec," Jace called out, making two pairs of eyes turn toward him, "It's okay. Let him have it, I certainly deserve it."

He totally didn't deserve the Cheshire cat-like grin that Magnus flashed him, though: that was downright scary. However, Jace felt quite comfortable with the idea of one last prank, especially since Alec would be there to keep his boyfriend in check: this shouldn't be too bad.

  


  


Jace had never been so wrong in his life: not only did Alec totally _not_ keep Magnus in check but he even helped him to plan his prank. Alec felt guilty for agreeing to this at first, until he realised that seeing Jace's reaction to the live duck they smuggled inside his bedroom was completely worth it.

  


**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading until the end! Feel free to leave some feedback, I would be delighted to know what you thought of this story :) Until next time!


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